Making memories last a lifetime.

Category Archives: SMTSP

It’s back – Easter pictures with live bunnies!! I will be offering sessions for two weekends in March: Fri-Sun. This year, I am going to be hosting this event at the Centennial Park in Chrisman, IL! (weather permitting). If the weather is less than desirable for this event, it will be held in my studio.

I have lots of Easter props available to go along with the live bunnies – but feel free to bring any of your own as well! Special items you may have such as Easter baskets, clothing, etc. There are bathrooms on site at the park for clothing changes if necessary.

Sessions will be 30 minutes in length and scheduled every hour on the hour – ie. 9:00-9:30 10:00-10:30. I need 30 minutes between sessions to reset and prepare for the next client, and give the bunnies a break (it’s in their contract! haha) If a different time is necessary for you, please let me know and I will see what I can do!

Cost: $25.00 – Includes online viewing to share with friends and family AND a $10.00 voucher to use online for a CD of 10 favorite images (selections made online or by phone)

Here are the dates to choose from!

March 16, 17, & 18th – 9:00am – 7:30pm

March 23, 24, 25th – 9:00am – 7:30pm

You can call/text (217) 251-7380 to schedule a session! As I book sessions, they will be added to my online calendar. You can refer to this to see what openings are still available. (when viewing my calendar, you may have to hit REFRESH for it to appear)

You heard me right – $1,200.00!! What do you have to do to get this fabulous prize? Get married!

I am looking for one lucky couple who is getting married anytime between April 14, 2012 and December 12, 2012 and who like to have FUN! Photography would be both traditional and non-traditional – thinking outside the box, using props that you wouldn’t even think of and doing a session that will boggle your mind!

What does the prize include you might ask? Well let me tell you what – it’s the BIGGEST prize I have EVER given away!

So, if you are interested in entering this giveaway, please print out the contest form and mail it ASAP to Show Me the Smile Photography! Entries must be received before February 24, 2012. More details regarding this fantastic giveaway can be found below and on the entry form.

I hope to get this blog started right and show just exactly the reasons I love what I do. A photographer isn’t measured by the certificates hung on the wall, or the amount of lenses stored in a bag. They aren’t measured by the money spent on a fancy camera or the equipment that broke the bank for those amazing shots in a studio. Nor are they measured by the software on a computer that edits in one click.

A photographer is measured by what is in the picture. The containment of a memory put forth on paper or virtually shared, is what measures the worth of a photographer. Yes, all those things listed above aid a photographer and help them to achieve greatness, but their passion for the right angle and seeing what is possible in each picture is worth its weight in gold.

Photography is my passion, and I want to share that with the world. Believe it or not, I have been criticized for being “too inexpensive”. It’s 2012, the financial crisis our society is dealing with has led to a slump, one that everyone fears we will not get out of. When I first opened up SMTSP years ago, my primary goal was to give high quality service at a reasonable price. I know what it’s like to not be able to afford something – the first 6 years of my children’s lives were not captured in pictures because we couldn’t afford to do so. It isn’t about the money for me, I love working with people and being creative.

Let the pictures speak volumes – after all, they are worth a thousand words.